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J. H. GOODPBLLOW. AUTOMATIC STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 297,987. Patented May 6, 1884.

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' J. H. GOODPELLOW.

7 AUTOMATIC STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No, 297,987. Patented May 6, 1884.

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AUTOMATIC STORE SERVIGE APPARATUS. No. 297,987. Patented May 6, 1884.

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Urvrrnn TATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOW, or TROY, NEW YoRK.

AUTOMATIC STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,987, dated May 6,1884. Application filed February 12, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it Wmg/ concern: Be it known that I, JOHN1I. GOODFELLOW, ofthe city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York,have invented 5 certain Improvements in Automatic Cash- Oarrier Systemsand Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of storeservice systems in whichtraveling hollow carrie'rs move upon ways extending between the maindesks and counters or stations occupied by salesmen; and my inventionconsists in means for rapidly sending the carriers to a convergingstation beneaththe cashiers desk, and of means for depositing saidcarriers up-, on the latter.

It also consists of chutes at the clerks stations communicating with atrack, gutter, or tube beneath the floor, and an elevator adapted todeposit said carriers upon the cashiers \desk, and an inclineddistributing-track extending from the cashiers desk to the clerksstations or counters, and in a general construction whereby theefficiency of the car- 2 riers is increased.

It also consists in the construction and arrangements of tracks adaptedto carry rolling carriers, whereby they are noiseless and com pact;also, of three branch switches, whereby 0 the carriers are switched fromor to the main track with ease and accuracy; and of means for droppingand catching and lowering the ball from the track to the clerk orstation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of 3 5 a store containing myimproved system. Fig.

1 and 2, taken at x x.

5 detail views of the lower end of elevators at the converging station.Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the discharge-mouths of theelevator, illustrating the means for ejecting the carrier. Fig. 9 is anend elevation of my improved track, showing ball and spring in positionto operate the trap; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of Fig. 9 at point of hangers. Fig. 11 is a planview of a section of track at hangers, illustrating parts of myinvention. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of Fig. 11, illustrating morefully other features of my invention; Fig. 13, plan view of a main trackand branch, illustrating the operation of my improved switch; Fig. 14,side elevation of Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 end elevation of Fig. 14.

Heretofore it has been customary to use two inclined tracks leadingdirectly from the cashiers desk to the clerks counters, said tracksbeing suspended directly beneath each other, and oppositely inclined andarranged so as to converge at the cashiers end, the lower track beingprovided with various devices for distributing the carriers at theirrespective stations, and the upper or incoming track is provided withelevators, used at each station for raising the ball or carrier to thetrack, along which it may roll to the cashiers desk. All of thesearrangements need to be very elaborate and expensive, and when used makemuch noise, and the upper track, with its numerous elevators, greatlyobstructs the view of the store. Furthermore, the track, being made ofwood, distorts from proper shape, and requires to be large in order tobe of sufficient strength.

It has been customary to use the upper part of stores for display room,and when these doubletracks are lntroduced it is necessary to abandonthat advantage. Another disadvantage is that the raising of theelevators by the clerk takes his time, as he has not only to adjust thecarrier in the elevator, but has to raise it and wait until it leavesthe latter before lowering it, and at other times, when in a hurry, itis permitted to come down with a thud. All this is serious delay whencustomers are plenty in the store; and when the ball returns it isnecessary to reach quite high for it; and in other cases the ball dropsvarious distances to within easy reach; and in these there is more orless strain on the balls, as they often break, and are accompanied withmuch noise on their arrival at the desired point.

The object of my invention is to construct and arrange a cash-carryingsystemwhich has not any of the aforesaid defects, and to render thedispatching of the carriers instantaneous upon their being loaded; also,to provide means whereby a much larger portion of the showroom of thestore is retained for display of goods; and, furthermore, to greatlyreduce the expense of their production, all of which and other featuresare hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

It has been customary to provide stores with the necessary conveyingsystems and all ofthei r various appliances suspended from the ceilingorside walls, and, in cases where tracks are .inclined in oppositedirections from the cashiers desk, spreading them apart as they extendtoward the clerks stations, and in many cases, where the distance isgreat, the outer ends of the track require to be spread apartconsiderably in order to give the track sufficient incline to send thecarriers by gravity; and in such case, there being two tracks, the spacewould need to be divided between them, thereby reducing the incline andpreventing the carriers from moving as fast as on a shorter line ofgreater incline.

Another disadvantage in former systems is the necessity that theaforesaid track should be provided with elevators at each station, andlong chutes beneath the swinging traps, and wires and elevator-supports,all of which serve to fill up the upper part of the store.

To obviate these objections my invention consists in providing but onemain distributing-track from the cashiers desk along and over eachseries of clerks stations or counters, and of the said stations beingprovided with means for conveying or directing the carriers beneath thefloor to a suitable converging station or stations provided with meansadapted to elevate or lower the carrier to or from the cashiers desk,thus removing the bulky construction which obstructs the view of thestore, and which is the source of unpleasant noises, and also requiresmuch time to be operated.

It has been customary to provide each salesmans-station on thedistributing-ways with a vertical tube or chute, into which the carriersare discharged by a vertically-swinging trap, when the distance throughwhich the carriers fall into the drop-box is considerable, injury to thecarriers often occurring, and unpleasant noises resulting from the forcewith which they fall. To avoid these objections my invention consists inproviding means for catching the carriers close to and beneath the trap,and of means adapted to counterbalance the catching device or carrierwith it, whereby the ball and basket may automatically descend upon thearrival of the former in the latter. The weight of this counterbalancemay be varied-for instance, it may be of such weight that the weight oftwo or more balls shall be required to overcome its effect and cause thereceptacle to swing or descend, in which case,

when less than the requisite number is in the receptacle,1t may bemanually pulled orswung down.

The vertically-swinging trap used for discharging the carrier from thedistributingways into various catching devices has been made in onepiece, pivoted so as to tilt by the weight of the carrier, therebydepressing one end and raising the other, between which and the track aball of smaller diameter may chance to roll and wedge or fall to thecounter, which, if it chanced to wedge, would be liable to retard othercarriers going to stations beyond, or dethrone them from the track. Toavoid these dilliculties, I propose to make my dropping device in twoparts, pivoted to the main track at their outer ends, and furnished withmeans for connecting them together, whereby one part shall swing upbehind-the carrier upon its arrival upon the trap-section in such amanner that the carrier following will ride upon the raised portion, andby its weight reset the trap; and my invention also consists of themeans for locking and unlocking said trap.

Elevated ways constructed of wood are liable to twist or warp by theell'ect of the hot air present near the ceilings of stores, or fromother causes, so that their connecting parts and the ends of switchesand tripping appliances fail to remain in perfect alignment with thestationary ends of the track. As a remedy for these objections, Iconstruct my track, preferably, ot'iron or steel, over which is drawnmolded or woven rubber tubing or similar yielding covering adaptcdtoreduce the noise of carriers rolling thereupon, and with means forsecuring said track and waysin their proper relation to each other, allas hereinafter described, and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.

Figs.'1, 2, and 3 are views showing my improved system arranged in astore, of which H is a cashiers desk somewhat elevated.

A to F, inclusive, are inclined distributingtracks, and a Z) c (1 of arecounters beneath the same. The said tracks may pass the stations of theseveral salesmen employed at such counters, so that a hollow carrier orball placed upon the track A by the cashier may travel to any designatedstation along that track. Beneath the floor are placed suitableconveying tracks or gutters, a b c d a f, which may converge at acentral station provided with an elevator, It, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, 4,6, and 7, Sheet 2. At the salesmens stations are arranged suitablechutes or conveyers, r y g g, at proper distances apart, which, as seenat the counter f, Fig. 3, may pass beneath the counter and communicatewith the track f, which may extend the length thereof, and then,bysuitableinclinations, pass through the lioor and converge into thetrack f, which leads to said central station, comn'lunicating with asuitable elevator. At the counter b the chutes g extend directly downthrough the floor in an inclined direction and connect with the trackI), which may also communicate with the elevators, of which I show two.(one of which, however, may be dispensed within IIO small stores,) andall the tracksconnected, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2.

The elevator B may be made of any suitable material and provided with acontinuous slot, 21. (See Fig.7.) A section of the lower part of theelevator, which is also provided with a suitable inlet, is shown at 27,(see Figs. 6 and 7,) with which the track communicates.

J J are pulleys arranged at the upper parts between the sections 2 and3, over which pulleys a suitable band, a 11*, passes, and thence aroundthe driving-wheels J J. To this band p are secured the conveying hoopsor disks 8,

which are arranged at proper distances apart, and rigidly secured, sothat they will remainat right angles thereupon while con veying thecarriers. Said hoops are severed at 3", and when so made theinnerportionof the hoop provides a disk-like cup, whereby the carriers are heldthereupon centrally in the elevator tube. The space or slot 3 providesmeans into which the deflector 13 may enter and pass through the disks.(Seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 8.) They are moved with the band in eitherdirection. The object of this deflector is to eject the carriers fromthe discharge-mouth 22 upon the disk into the grooves k k, which areinclined, as they extend from the elevator around the disk,

(see Fig. 4,) so that the balls may move there upon to the lower part ofthe groove in.

The elevator may be operated by any suitable and convenient power. Ihave shown a Baxter watermotor." E, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) which may be asource of cheap and convenient power. As arranged, the pulleys J J areadapted to receive the belts i t, which pass around the driving-wheel jof the motor, and from the arrangement of the belts and the indicationof the arrows it will be seen that the disks 3 ascend theelevator-section 2 and return by the section 3. The operation of theseparts is as follows: WVhen a purchase has been made by a customer, themoney and checks are placed in the carrier by the clerk and dropped intoone of the chutes-say at 9", Fig. 3-along which it rolls intothe trackf, thence intotrack f" and into the opening 27, whereupon one of thedisks3 takes it up when at the mouth 22, it is deflected from theelevator uponthe desk, or within easy reach of the cashier, whereuponthe proper change is made and the ball (recognized by-a suitable marksayA is then placed upon the A track, along which-it rolls to the properstation, and, because of the size of the ball, it is deposited throughthe track in any suitable catching device, from which it is taken andthe change returned.

It will be observed that the tracks beneath the counter may be soarranged that they need not penetrate the ceiling beneath the floor, butmay extend along the counter or beneath the shelving,-and thence into atrack between the ceiling and floor to a point near or beneath the desk,or need not penetrate the'floor, but may emerge from the lower ends ofthe counter adjacent to the floor, and thence to the elevator. When thuslaid, the gutters or tracks may be covered by any suitable means, thatthey may not be interfered with in walking over them. It is optionalwhere the chutes are located, whether they be ar- .tionf. as shown inFig. 3.. If found preferable, in some cases I arrange the upper mouth ofthe chutes so as to project above the counter or support in easy sightof the customers, that they may see the carrier leave the clerks hand;and in some cases'where I construct the chutes g and their connectingparts of a tubular or other form, in which all sides are closed, andthey extend through the floor, I provide the mouth of the chutes with asuitable cover, 2.

j, which may be hinged or otherwise adapted to be removed when desiredto use the chute. The inner parts of the chute and connecting parts maybe lined or provided with strips of leather or rubber or canvas uponthose parts with which the carriers are liable to come in contact.

It is also observed that various constructions of elevator may be usedat the junction of the converging station or cashiers desk, to elevatethe carriers and dispose of them within easy reach of the cashier, whomay in turn place the carriers upon the elevator and lower them to othertracks, onto which they may roll and return to their respectivecounters-say, for instance, to a point beneath the floor orbasement-store; or they may be by the elevator extended up through thefloor to a compartment or store above the main floor, whereby onestation of cashiers may manage several .fioors of store systems.

The elevators may be constructed of a platform, to hold the ball orcarrier, with means surrounding the same to keep them in their properposition thereupon. These may be one or more in numbersay two, one oneach end of a band or cord, which may be adapted to move over a pulley,whereby one elevator may rise with a carrier and the other descend; andin some cases a rotating or revolving screw provided with suitable wingsmight serve as a conveyer; or they might be caused to roll up an inclineby some other means to propel them. I

It is not absolutely necessary that the case 8 of the elevator should beround, or that it should be used, as the whole arrangement of theelevator might be placed within the cashiersdesk, which may form somepart of the elevator-case, if. need be. I find that an elevatorconstructed upon the rotary-band prinwork having a central aperture, andpresents the same form on both sides; hence it not only holds thecarrier (especially if it be a ball) centrally, but is adapted to act ineither direction, holding and retaining equally well a ball-carrier tobe elevated or one to be lowered.

The deflector 13 may be in the above case reversed, or other suitablemeans usedsuch as an incline seat for the ball-whereby at a properopening the carrier would roll from its support to a track. Ifthedisk-like device 3 were used, I would arrange the discharge-openingopposite the disk shown by dotted lines, Fig. 6. Opposite said openingmay be arranged a track or gutter, onto which the ball may roll; and byswitching devices on said track the carriers or balls may beautomatically sorted to the various tracks or ways. The inlet-opening 27to the elevator from the converging track may be located in anyconvenient place, whereby the wings 3 may receive their load.

It will also be observed that by reversing the motion of the elevatorand placing the mouth 22 on the opposite side thereof, and leaving thedeflector 13 where it is, with the said month just above, the carrierswould be raised up over the wheel J, and in their descent on theopposite side would come in contact with the deflector and roll from themouth onto the disk into said groove or receptacle. The grooves is, Fig.4:, may extend around the disk H, as shown, or, in cases where only oneelevator is used, may extend all around, or terminate into any suitablereceptacle to hold them. The advantage of this groove is that the ballsdo not get mixed-that is to say, it enables the cashier to wait on themin the relation in which they arrive; but in the case shown the cashier(it there be only one) may readily turn upon the stool p and wait uponeither side alternately.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11, Sheet 2, is illustrated my improved track. whichmay be used in one or more iods or IIJF, L", ot'iron or steel, althoughhard wood might be used. The former, however, is preferable. Over thesewires or rods is drawn rubber tubing or other tlexible materialsuch asterra-cotta or braided fabric similar to telephone wire or horsewhipstheobject of which is to reduce the noise ofcarriers rolling thereupon. Ifind that rubber tubing is preferable, because it is very elastic and isadapted to be suitably ornamented. K is the said track-covering.

In Fig. 9 I show four tracks supported by the hangers M. The two lowertracks are those which the carrier may roll upon, and the outer andupper ones are guide-rails, which sometimes may become tracks, as willhereinafter appear. To mount this track as shown in the several figures,the rods L are passed through holes of suflicient size in the hanger44-, and the tubing is drawn snugly over the wire or rod. To wax thelatter greatly facilitates the sliding 011 of the tube. After thevarious rods are thus inserted the tubes are severed at proper lengthsand the next hanger placed in position, forming the section shown inFigs. 11 and 12. The hanger 44 is provided, also, with loops 6 6 6, fromwhich hanging wires may pass to the ceiling in one or more places and indifferent planes from each other. It will here be observed that were thebridge connection between the two inner rails removed the track would beadapted for a double side-wheel carrier, one pair of wheels riding uponeither track. The hangers may be provided with small set-screws, to holdthe rails intact at their junction with the rods. It will also beobserved that only three rails may be used in this construction of thetrack, with the two upper ones located as shown in Fi 9, and the thirdrail about as far from the upper ones as shown in the drawings, butcentrally located. The operation of such an arranged track is asfollows: A ball of a certain diameter may roll to its station by beingplaced on the rail between the center and right-hand rail, along whichit might roll and fallthrough at a point at which the outer rail has anabrupt curve in it, at which point any ordinary catching device may bearranged to receive it as it falls through; and a ball of the same sizenow placed on the track between the center and left-hand rail would alsoroll farther on to its station, while a ball of still larger diameter,large enough to escape either track, would roll along and upon thecenter, and, being supported by the sides, would pass still farther on.It is obvious in what style of system this kind of track is used, as itis adapted to hollow rolling carriers, as well as those moving onwheels. As shown in the drawings, thetrack is constructed and arrangedto accommodate my various other appliances.

In connecting the terminating ends together they may be slightly reducedin diameter and a thimble of light tubing slipped over them to form thejoint, and which is readily adjusted, as well as kept in position, bythe covering. As thus arranged, a strong and durable as well asnoiseless track for carrier systems is obtained. This covering may bemade by splitting lengthwise a tube, or by taking a piece of rubber orflexible material of a suitable width and cementing it to the rods orwires-a method of procedure necessary in making repairs. The thicknessof this covering should about equal the inner projecting portion of thehangers where thcysupport the rods or wires, so that the covering maycompensate for these inner projections, form a smooth, flush track orway, and avoid any jar orjumping of the balls or carriers at suchpoints.

In Fig. 11 is shown a plan view of my improved vertieally-moving switchas used upon the distributing-ways, which consists of the two sections Nand N", which are pivoted at their outer ends to the main lower rails orterminating supports of the main rails by any suitable means, and arepreferably interlocked together, as shown. These two sections areprovided with arms r 1", which project outwardly and downwardly from themain track, and are connected together by the link Y. On the section Nare outwardly-projecting lips Z l, which engage with the springs S S,which are secured to the outer rails, as seen in Figs. 9, 11, and 12. Asthus constructed and arranged, the traps N N, being connected by thelink, are about balanced, and are held in a horizontal position by thespring-latch S S on both sides. When a ball is ofsufficient width toopen the springs sufficient to escape the nibs Z l, the weight of thecarrier drops down the section N and moves the section N up, as shown inVl6,W Fig. 12, whereupon it drops into the wire basket 0 which I haveshown pivoted at 7, and a counter-weight attached to counterbalance thebasket and ball, if need be; but as I have shown it here it is intendedto swing down as the ball arrives within easy reach of the clerk. Thelength of the reach between the pivot-joint 7 and basket may bedetermined by the stroke required.

It will be observed that the basket 0 might have itscounterbalancing-weight made ridged and stand in a plane nearly levelwith the track, or might be adapted to lower automatically by the balldropping into it, and the cords tt pass over suitable pulleys from theirpresent location and their free ends made se cure to the upper edges ofthe basket, which would be returned to the rail upon removing the ball.The forward end of the basket or pocket is closed back upon itself, sothat when swung down into a vertical position the carrier or ball issecurely held and prevented from rolling or tipping out. \Vhen a ballfollows one which has gone through a trap and left it open, as in thecase just described, the weight of such ball, when brought in contact,closes that trap and passes on to the proper one. Nevertheless, thistrap might be. closed by counter-weight or spring, although these tendto retard the working of such traps.

The switching devices upon the distributing track or way, 'as proposedby my inven ;tion, are illustrated in Figs. 13, 14, and 15.

K is a portion of areturn track or way, which is intersected by a branchtrack, A", as shown;

b is aswitch-tongue as ordinarily constructed, which is pivoted on apin, h, at the intersection of the two adjacent rails of the main andbranch tracks. c The end of the tongue I) is held normally inposition,so as to keep the main track continuous, by means of the slot 10 on theend of the tongue being held in such position by the lifting-latch a,which may intercept its return, and by means of a coiled springlocatedat p,- which is adapted to open the switch or branch track in positionto pass a carrier onto the branch. At m the latch u is pivoted, and maybe extended therefrom up between the rail, as seen in Fig. 15, or bentout and over the top rail, as shown by dottedlines at m. To the oppositeend of the-switchtongue, near its pivot h, I attach to said tongue ayielding guard-lever, V, which extends upward therefrom and out over thebranch track to the height of about the middle of the ball, as shown atm, Fig. 14. The operation of this part isas follows: WVhen it is desiredto switch a ball to the branch track, the proper balllifts or pressessideward the yielding guard lever m or m, which lifts the latch ordetent u in the slot 10, and by the spring 12 the switchtongue isquickly moved in the position shown in Fig. 13, in which posit-ion itremains until the carrier has passed the pivot 71, when the ball iscrowded between the yielding guardV and the track sides A, whereupon-theswitchtongue is returned and locked by the gravitylateh M. It will thusbe seen that a carrier may ,not leave the switch until it has been resetfor the next carrier passing over the main track. The object of makingthe guardsV or m or m yielding is that in the case of the horizontalswitch it enables the guard at to be set to the smaller ball passingthrough, and

' which would move the tongue bto lock, while the larger ones would dothe same, but after that was done the guard V would yield and permit theball to pass through. In the case of the guard m or m, their yieldingenables them to be made all alike, while they may be quickly adjusted toany-sized ball used on the line. In mounting this on the rail where itis necessary to locate a switch, the said device may be made of wiresimply'wound around the rail in a place where a small section of thetubing may be removed, the ends of which act IOO as washers to keep thewire in position. .As

thus wound around the wire, the hinge m is made, when the wire maybefurther bent into form to adapt it to a carrier, while its opposite endmay be provided with or bent to form a latch adapted to enter the tongueI) at 10, as specified.

In Fig. 9 is shown my improved carrier T, in which a." is a cavity madein from the side,

' the opening of which is provided withabung,

00, adapted to be'movably secured in said ball, and which may beprovided with any suitable means for holding it in position to close theaperture. As thus constructed the ball is adapted to carry paper money.In some cases I provide these balls with a spring, 90', on their innerside, adapted to force the bung w out when turned, or a suitablelatching device, mi, which is removed.

When I desire to construct these carriers to convey hard money or coin,I provide at one end ofthe cavity 00 a coil-spring, 00, onto which Iattach a small weight, 00 of heavy metal. Said weight may beofsufficient diameter to nearly fill the space, and may be of anydesirable shape. As Vtlu1s.constructed,the spring as retains the weight.70 about or near the center, and when hard money is placed therein theweight is displaced. and thereby the coin is counterbalanced and thebung w compresses the spring 50, and by suitable locking devices,

w, is held in proper-position until released by turning or movablelatches common to the art, whereupon it is automatically opened by saidspring 00.

counter, and a way, trough, or tube extending.

from the said counter or station and below the line of said counter, anda rolling cash holder or box, substantially as described.

3. In cash-carrying system, a way adapted to the cashiers desk H andinclined downwardly from and extending overastore-eounter, and a way,gutter, or tube extending from the said counters or stations and belowthe line of said counters, and a rolling cash-h older adapted to receiveand carry cash on said ways, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The within-described system for storeservice, consisting ofthecombination of a way or ways adapted to the cashiers desk anddownwardly-inclined therefrom,and extending over a store-counter andalong a series of stations, and a way, trough, or tube extending fromthe said counte and stations and below the upper line of said counter,said ways adapted to support an dconvey by gravity a hollow rollingcarrier or ball to an elevator arranged and adapted to elevate saidcarrier for the eashiers manipulation, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a cash-carrying system for store-services, of away or ways adapted to the eashiers desk and inclined downwardlytherefrom,and provided with distributing-stations arranged in said waysover the different 'salcsmens counters or stations, and a way, gutter,or tube extending from said stations or counters below the n p perlinethereof, adapted to receive, support, and convey by gravity cash-holdersto an elevator passing the cashiers desk, for elevating or lowering theearriers thereat, substantially as described.

6. In a eash'earrying system, the combination of one or more chutesarranged below the top line of the counters or salesmens stations andadapted to convey by gravity a rolling carrier therethrough, and one ormore branch ways or tubes leading to the eashiers desk or to an elevatoror side track, substantially as described.

7. In a caslrcarrying system, a chute or chutes arranged below the topline of the counters or salesmens stations, and leading thence to thecashiers desk or to an elevatorthereat, adapted to convey thereto bygravity a rolling caslrearrier, substantially as described.

8. In a cash-carrying system, the combination of one or more counters orstations and one or more chutes adapted to direct rolling carriers uponor into a way, tube, or gutter, arranged to converge at their lower endsand discharge said carriers into or upon an elevator, whereby they maybe raised or lowered to a side track for the operation of the cashier,substantially as described.

9. In a easlrcarrying system for stores, the combination and arrangementof an incline way or ways, gutter, or tube longitudinally beneath thecounter or shelving, provided with means, substantially as described,for receivingahollow rolling ball or carrier adapted to carry cash onsaid ways, and the lower end of said ways adapted to discharge said ballor carrier into or upon an elevator, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

10. In a cash-carrying system, the combination of a way, tube, orgutter, one or more counters or stations, and one or more inclinedchutes connecting the stations or counters with the way, whereby a quickimpetus is given the hollow rolling ball or carrier used therewith, whenintroduced therein, toward the cashiers desk or an elevator or sidetrack thereat.

11. A cash-carrying system consisting of the combination,with one ormore salesmens counters or stations, of one or more chutes, ways,troughs, or tubes leading therefrom, and serving as a means ofcommunication therewith to the eashiers desk, whereby cash-carriers maybe sent to the eashiers desk, an elevator thereat by which the cashiermay receive or distribute the cash-ca riers, and a return distributingtrack, the elevator being intermediate ot' the converging and divergingsystem of ways, troughs, or tubes, substantially as described.

12. In a cash-carrying system having chutes the bodies of which arearranged below the line of the counter or shelving at the salesmensstations or counters, the combination, with the chute, of a coveradapted to close said chute when not in use, substantially as described.

13. The inclined chute r arranged at the salesmens counters or stations,and adapted as a source ofindirect communication with a way, trough, ortube to the eashiers desk, whereby hollow rolliug cash earriers are sentby the clerk along said ways, in combination with an inclined returndistributing-traek, as set forth.

14. The chute 9, arranged with its mouth extending above the counter,and furnished with a cover, in combination with a way, I), substantiallyas described.

15. In a cash-carrying system, one or more chutes having their bodiesarranged below the top line of the counters or salesmens stations, butwith mouths extending above the top line of the counters or stations,provided with suitable covers, substantially as described.

16. In a cash-carrying system, the combination, with the troughs,grooves, or ways, arranged and adapted to deliver the cash-carriers atthe cashiers desk, of one or more grooves, troughs, or ways located atthe cash- IIO iers desk, and adapted to receive and hold thecash-carriers for the-cashiers operations, substantially as set forth.

17. In a cash-carrying system, the combination of troughs, grooves, orways arranged and adapted to carry from the counters or.salesmensstations the cash-carriers, one or more troughs, grooves, or wayslocated at the cashiers desk, adapted to'receive and hold for hisoperations the cash-carriers, and an elevator for receivingthecash-carriersfrom thetroughs, grooves, or ways leading from the countersor stations and delivering them into the troughs, groovesor waysreceiving and holding them at the cashiers desk, substantially asdescribed.

18. In a cash-carrying system, the combination, with one or moretroughs, grooves, or ways located at the cashiers desk, and adapted toreceive and hold thereat the cash-carriers, of an elevator fordelivering the cashcarriers thereupon, substantially as described.

19. The combination, with a cashiers desk,

H,-of a store, and a series of outgoing distributingracks, of anelevator adapted to lift the ball from a converging station or stationsto the cashiers desk, for his manipulation, substantially as described.I

20. The elevator R, consisting of a suitable band provided withplatforms adapted to raise a spherical carrierl'rom a posit-ion near orbelow the floor or compartment beneath to an incline leading to thecashiers deskor the neighborhood thereof, for his manipulation,substantially as described.

21. The elevator R, consisting of a suitable band furnished with disks 3andslot 3", adapted to raise or lower a spherical carrier to or from thecashiers desk and a converging station, and provided with means forejecting the carrier in either direction automatically, substantially asdescribed.-

22. In combinationwith a cash-carrying sys: tem and a cashiers desk, anelevator consisting of the sections 2 and 3, band 71?, support ing anddriving wheels J and J, and hoop or disks or equivalents adapted tocarry a ball in either direction, substantially as described.

23. The combination, with an elevator, R, for raising and. loweringcarriers from one floor to another, provided with means, as described,for receiving automatically such carriers into or upon the elevator fromthe incoming tracks or converging stations, of means, as described,

carrying system, the combination, with a pivto be kept normally closed,and self adjusting to various sizes of carriers, adapted to close theswitch tongue upon a carrier passing out of the switch, and means, asdescribed, for holding said tongue in such a position adapted to bereleased by a carrier to be switched,'and a tongue adapted to move saidswitch-tongue in advance of the carrier, substantially as described. 1

27. In a horizontal switch on the ways of a carrier system, thecombination of a switchtongue, a latch to retain said tongue against themain rail with the branch closed, and means for moving said tongue bythe action of various-size carriers to which it is adapted to yield, andmeans, as described,'for raising said latch by the action of saidcarriers, and means for moving said tongue to the opposite side of therail upon being released,whereby a carrier resets the switch uponpassing through, substantially as described.

28. In a horizontal switch on ways of a carrying system, the'combinationof a pivoted switch-tongue provided with aspring or latch normallyretaining the tongue in position against the spring,to closeabranch way,means, as described, operated on by the carrier, for causing the latchto release the tongue and open the normally-closed branch, and ayielding switch-guard attached to or engaging with the switch'tongue andextending intosaid branch or way, and adapted to yield to various-sizedcarriers and again close the switch-tongue after leaving the main way ortrack and entering the branchway or track, substantially as described.

29. In a horizontal switch on the ways ofa carrier system, thecombination, with the pivoted switch-tongue provided with the yieldingswitch-guard V, extending back over the branch, of a latch, U, and ayielding guard, m, made in one piece, and adapted to trip the end of thetongue at 10 by the sideward or up ward pressure of the carrier,substantiallyas described.

30. In a cash-carrying system, the combination, with a track or wayprovided with two vertical moving sections pivoted to the main track attheir outer ends, and provided with means, asdescribed, wherebythey arecon-. nected, of means, as described, for retaining said gates orswitches in ahorizonal position, adapted to be operated by the carriers,substantially as described.

31. In cash-carrying systems, the combination, with a track or wayprovided with two vertical moving sections pivoted at their outer ends,and provided with means, as described, for retaining them in ahorizontal position adapted to be opera-ted by a carrier intended topass through the switch, of means, as described, for closing them againby a following carrier, as set forth.

32. In a carrying system, the combination,

with a track or way, means, as described, for discharging the carriersfrom such ways, and a receptacle for arresting the carriers as they dropfrom the trap, of means, as described, whereby the ball is lowered bycounter-weight, substantially as described.

33. In astore system, the combination of a discharging device on theways and a receptacle beneath the same for the carrier, adapted toautomatically drop upon arrival of such carrier in said receptacle,substantially as described.

34. In a store system, the combination of a discharging device on theways and a receptacle beneath, attached to a lever provided with acounter-weight which may be overbalanced by the arrival of said carrierin said receptacle, whereby said receptacle automatically returns to thetrack upon relieving the carrier, substantially as described.

35. In a store-service system, a three-rail track or way consisting ofrails running parallel with each other and the outer ones higher thanthe center one, whereby a ball placed upon the track between the tworight-hand rails will follow those rails, substantially as described.

36. In a cash'earrier system, the combination of inclineddistributingwvays A and the devices forming the means for sending acarrier toward the cashiers desk II from and below the counter of astore, and hollow rolling balls T, adapted to receive and carry cash onsaid ways, as and for the purpose specified.

37. The combination, with the counter f and desk H and elevator It in astore, of the devices forming the means for connecting the same,substantially as described.

38. The combination of the box T and bung 0), provided with the devicesforming the means for holding the bung in position, as and for thepurpose set forth.

39. The combination of the box T, the bung x, and spring :v and adetent,w as and for the purpose set forth.

40. The combination of the box T, adapted to roll, the bung or, thedetent 40 spring 00, and counter-weight x", as and for the purposespecified.

41. The combination of the box T, adapted to roll, the bung x, thedetent m, spring 00, counter-weight a, and spring 0:", adapted to holdand carry cash, substantially as described.

42. A rolling cash-carrier consisting of the combination of the box T,adapted to roll, and provided with a cover, and means, as described, forreturning itto the box, and a weight and spring adapted tocounterbalance coin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

43. In a cash-carrying system, the combination, with a cashiers desk, ofan independent groove or trough, Madapted to receive and hold a seriesof rolling cash-carriers, and the devices forming the means forconveying said carriers thereto, substantially as described.

44.. In a cash-carrying system, the combination, with the ways, troughs,or tubes forming the track for conveying the cash-carriers,and hangersfor supporting or suspending the same, of wires or supports for thehangers arranged on either side of the center thereof alternately and atan angle thereto, whereby the ways are held steady and fixed throughoutthe length of the track, substantially as set forth.

. I11 testimony whereof I havesigned myname to this specification inpresence of two sub scribing witnesses.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOW.

\Vitnesses:

. EDWARD P. AUGUR,

GEO. C. MILLER.

